Four surfboard-sized vehicles set sail off the coast of the San Francisco Bay on Thursday in an attempt to break world records in ocean exploration and robotics. The “wave gliders” will, if successful, traverse the longest distance of any unmanned ocean craft as they cross the Pacific Ocean.

To some, daylight saving time means losing an hour of sunshine. But to Crissy Field Park Ranger Fatima Colindres, it means more opportunities to explore the night. Twilight walks are among the park's most popular activities, and Colindres treks with groups under the dark sky twice a month.

As the Crissy Field Center celebrates its 10th anniversary, the center continues to bridge the gap between urban youth and environmental education. In July 2011, the center's Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders (I-YEL) program won the "Take Pride in America" national award given by the Department of Interior for outstanding youth program. Jie Chen, a former student intern and current manager of the I-YEL program described the award as "amazing to see and be a part of."

When William Keener got a report of a harbor porpoise inside San Francisco Bay in 2008, he knew this was big news: They had been absent since World War II. Now, Keener's group of researchers has turned the Golden Gate Bridge into a world-class wildlife observatory where anyone can see porpoises in action. Why have they returned? Did Bay cleanup efforts make the difference? While we can't know for sure, we can celebrate this rare case of a large mammal reintroducing itself into its former habitat.

Despite the fog, we still think of summer as beach season here in the Bay Area. And that's one thing we have in common with the western snowy plover, a small bird that needs a lot of help to brave the crowds on San Francisco's beaches. Volunteering to watch, walk, and talk for the snowy plover at Ocean Beach or Crissy Field may be just right for you.

As the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico entered its third month last week, people across the country turned out on beaches and shorelines to protest offshore oil drilling. In 33 countries and all 50 states, including dozens of sites in the Bay Area, the Hands Across the Sand event drew hundreds of people to join hands on Saturday, June 26, in a symbolic line at several spots in San Francisco and all over the Bay Area.

There's no mistaking the signs of this year's late spring in the Presidio, with California poppies, beach strawberries, and beautiful (but invasive) calla lilies appearing in increasing numbers every day. But the Presidio is also experiencing a far more gradual and deliberate regrowth as well: that of its network of trails.